No one likes the rain. There is nothing worse than flinging the curtains open in the morning, only to be faced with grey skies and torrents of rain. It bad enough when the rain is keeping us from the day to day stuff that we want to do for ourselves, but for parents, it comes with an added dimension of dread. Not only do parents have to keep themselves entertained, if the kids can’t go outside to play, that means it falls on their parents to keep them amused as well.

You might think that it is this precise scenario that TVs, laptops, and tablets were invented for, but do you really want your kids spending more time than they already do with their heads glued to a screen? Wouldn’t it be better if you could find some more wholesome and fun activities to take part in as a family?

Help Them Build a Fort

Most of us still have some amazing memories of being children and building forts of our own. Nothing can compare to the power of a child’s imagination. To the parents, the materials you build with will be nothing more than cardboard boxes. However, to your children, this will be a real, magical fort. Seeing that kind of magic coming alive in your children is better than any TV show.

Take Kids to the Library

There are few tools as potent for stirring imaginations, young and old alike than a good book. Encouraging your children to read often is a good habit to try and get into anyway, for the both of you. Your kids will benefit in a number of ways from being exposed to books from a young age. There is increasing evidence that people who read more as children perform better academically for the rest of their lives.

Cooking

Kids don’t often get the opportunity to cook, largely because of the potential hazards involved. Because of this, many people don’t discover their love for cooking until relatively late in life. However, things don’t have to be this way. By introducing your kids to some simple recipes to cook and bake, you can help to ignite that spark wherever it may reside. You can find a whole host of suitable recipes online: Cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.Com is an excellent starting point.

Set Up a Treasure Hunt

What adult doesn’t secretly cherish the excuse to act like a kid again? Parents will already understand the allure that this kind of time with your children has. Some of the best quality time you will spend with your kids will be spent trying to exist, even momentarily, in their imaginations. Devising your own treasure hunt is an excellent way of putting together a fun and memorable activity for you and your family.

Rainy days can be a real pain. On the surface, many parents aren’t thrilled about the prospect of being kept inside all day and having to watch bored kids. However, with a little bit of effort, you can turn your rainy days into prime family times.

Are you trying to find snacks for your kids that are both fun and healthy? Here are some great healthy recipes for kids that they’re going to love.

Do you have a house full of picky eaters? Is trying to get your kids to eat healthy an everyday battle? Are you tired of making healthy meals and then having to throw them out because your kids just refuse to eat them?

Well, fear not, we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of healthy recipes for kids, so you can whip up something that’s fun, easy, and nutritious. So without further ado, here are 10 healthy recipes for kids that will be sure to win them (and their taste buds) over.

10 Fun and Healthy Recipes for Kids

In this article, we’ll cover what kids crave most: snacks! These snacks are easy to make at home and offer the perfect combination of ingredients that will keep them feeling full and happy for hours.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a great snack alternative for children who constantly crave salty or fatty snacks like chips and pretzels. This whole grain snack packs 4-grams of fiber for every 3-cup serving, which means it’s a very filling alternative for kids.

Just make sure you go for the air-popped option and avoid movie theater popcorn or kettle corn, which are often packed with extra calories from sugar and fat.

Beyond calories and fiber, popcorn is a great snack because it’s endlessly versatile. You can transform this snack with different seasonings like grated cheese or nutritional yeast, which makes it easy to customize for the pickiest of kids. Just make sure to avoid going overboard with the toppings or it will no longer qualify as one of the healthy recipes for kids.

Ice Pops

Are your children fans of ice pops or another cold, sugary treat? If so, treat them to homemade ice pops, which you can customize to include healthy ingredients your kids won’t even notice.

There are many fruit flavors you can make that will provide your children with a healthy dose of vitamins while curbing their sugar craving.

Do your kids like orange ice pops? Make your own with orange juice and nonfat Greek yogurt, which will offer your kids a healthy dose of vitamin C and calcium. If your kids aren’t a fan of orange ice pops, try making other great ice pops like mango almond, berry flavored ones, and even faux fudge ones using avocado!

Peanut Butter Cookies

We know what you’re probably thinking: how on Earth can cookies qualify as one of the healthy recipes for kids? And the truth is there are many cookie recipes out there that are both healthy and delicious!

Don’t believe us? Try making these mouth-watering low carb peanut butter cookies made with two simple ingredients: peanut butter and Sukrin syrup. In less than 12 minutes, you’ll have a batch of delicious, low-carb cookies your kids will crave.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is such a great snack it deserves another spot on this list. Natural peanut butter is a filling treat that pairs well with a variety of other healthy foods like apples, celery, carrots, and bananas. It also offers healthy fats and protein kids need to stay feeling full and energized.

Healthy Baked Goods

Do your kids just refuse to eat their fruits and vegetables? If so, a great way to get them on board is by sneaking those fruits and vegetables into the baked goods they already love to eat. Once they fall in love with the flavor, they’ll realize how tasty and nutritious healthy foods can be.

What’s great about healthy baked goods is that there are a variety of options to choose from.

You can make banana bread, zucchini muffins, and even make muffins with sweet potatoes, which contain beta-carotene and potassium.

Eggplant Fries

Are your kids certifiable french fry fiends? Well, eggplant fries can easily satisfy their craving while providing them with all the benefits eggplant offers, such as potassium and vitamin C. And what’s better is that you can broil these bad boys and toss them in parmesan and garlic salt so that they’ll taste like the real thing without all the extra junk.

Oven Baked Almond Fish Sticks

Want a healthy recipe for kids that’s packed with protein? Oven baked almond fish sticks are the way to go then! You can replace the standard breading with a blend of crushed almonds and bran flakes, which will make these baked (not fried) fish sticks a protein-packed snack that’s low in carbs.

Fruit Salsa

If you’re looking to serve your kids something a little different, fruit salsa is a great option. Fruit salsa is a fruit salad with a spin, combining great fresh flavors like kiwi, mango, and papaya.

Simply add those ingredients and toss them with mint and a bit of orange juice for an absolutely delicious fruit snack.

BBQ Kale Chips

Are your kids willing to try an unusual (and entirely scrumptious) snack? If so, serve them up some BBQ kale chips, which beat traditional chips in terms of taste and nutrition benefits.

Simply season some kale chips with paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, and garlic powder for an out-of-this-world snack.

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade granola bars are a great on-the-go snack for when you and your kids are busy. And what’s better is that you can match a bunch in advance, so that you don’t have to spend precious time whipping snacks together.

Alton Brown’s granola bar recipe offers a healthy snack that is full of dried fruit, seeds, and nuts. They’ll keep your kids feeling full for longer, and offer them a great granola bar taste without all the sugars and processed ingredients a standard one includes.

Final Thoughts on Healthy Snacks for Kids

Getting your kids to eat healthy foods isn’t easy, but it’s essential keeping them active and in good health. By trying out the 10 healthy snacks for kids on this list, you can find a healthy and affordable snack option they’ll be sure to love.

Have you tried making healthy snacks for your kids? Have any recipes we missed?

Easter is almost here and it’s the right time to start thinking about the table decorations for the occasion. Easter brunch is a tradition in many homes and most people like to take it easy and casual, and sleep in for a bit longer, so having brunch instead of a formal dinner is a perfect solution.

Deciding on this year’s theme might pose a challenge, especially if you want to keep it a bit classy for the adults, but still colourful and fun for the kids in the family. Here are several suggestions how to decorate your Easter table and offer something for everyone.

Elegant and classy

If you’re one of those families that like to put the kids at their own table and let them create their own fun, then that leaves you with enough room to upscale the decoration at “the adult table”. You can rarely go wrong with an elegant and classy style. For instance, a combination of marble and delicate floral Easter motifs is very stylish. You can create this look by mixing and matching marble tableware, a touch of black and white confetti sprinkled randomly and a gorgeous floral centrepiece that will add the colours and scents of spring.

Nothing says class and elegance more than a black and white combination. Consider setting your table with beautiful Robert Gordon black and white plates and bring it all up a notch by adding silver or gold accessories, such as napkin rings, egg holders, cups and dessert spoons. Finish it off with a dip bowl holding an assortment of chocolates wrapped in gold foil to fit with the rest of the design.

Shiny and sweet

By Easter time, most people feel sick of winter and are yearning for the colours and smells of spring, so bring some fun and colour to your table styling. Break away a bit from the tradition and get creative with what you have in your home, and your kids could contribute with their own ideas. You can use floral wrapping paper and cut it up to use it as a disposable tablecloth and make a big statement at a very small cost. Lay the table with blue plates that will pick up on the tablecloth colours and some pastel mugs. Tie it all together with white side plates and shiny silverware.

Leave it to your kids to add an egg holder with a monogrammed Easter egg for each guest and a bright, yellow chick or a cute white bunny next to each plate to finish the setting.

Country garden party

There’s something particularly sweet about a country garden party theme for Easter, especially for the kids’ table. They will adore a cotton candy colour palette, with a chequered tablecloth, paper doilies and tiny cut-out flags that you can all prepare together before the guests arrive.

Get your kids to pick spring flowers such as garden roses, tulips and daisies, and arrange them casually on the table. Dress the table with some patterned ribbons, colourful confetti eggs, Easter candy jars and place bunny cut-outs with kids’ names on them, colourful Easter-inspired paper plates and cups, so the kids can fully enjoy the Easter fun without the worry of breaking anything.

Forest theme

A natural woodland theme is one of the most common Easter table settings and is suitable for both adults and kids. The best thing about it is that it doesn’t cost much and you can easily make it together with your kids just by using things you have in the house and your backyard.

As a centrepiece, you can use your kitchen wood slice board and place a wicker basket filled with twigs and spring flowers that will make a wonderful nest for colourful Easter eggs. Go with white, green and blue colours for your crockery and add pastel plaid napkins. And, as a finishing touch, put scented candles and faux moss bunnies around the centrepiece.

Easter is a time of celebration and joy, and whether you’re having an elegant party or a casual country brunch gathering, these table setting ideas will help you create a lovely, warm and inviting ambience and impress your family and guests.

When it comes to dinner, many people’s favourite part is dessert. Who can blame them, right? With so many choices of desserts it’s easy to see why many love these sweet apres dinner finishers. From ice cream to cake, fruit salads to pies, what’s not to like? A favourite dessert for many, and one that tends to be featured after many roast dinners is that of pies, crisps, and cobblers. But what’s the difference between each and how do you make them? You can read about cobblers and pie in this article below!

Crisp (Sometimes Called Crumble)

A Crisp is a fruit based dessert that is typically fully covered in a mixture of flour, granola (or other cereals), nuts and sugar all mixed together and baked on top of the fruits themselves. This topping covers the fruit entirely and bakes to a golden brown and hardens up just slightly. Sometimes the fruit juices can leak on top of the crisp, but it’s nothing to be concerned about. The best part is almost any fruit makes a great crisp, but especially apples and berries, or some people even mix them to make mixed fruit crisp. Serve with ice cream.

Pie

Pies differ from both crisps and cobblers in the sense that the filling is almost entirely encased in pastry shell. The dish is lined with the pastry, the filling added and then a layer of pastry is added on top of the entire thing, with small holes pierced in the top to allow steam to escape. Pies can sometimes have only strips of pastry over the filling in a crisscross pattern that showcases some of the filling beneath. Pies often are considered to be a dessert or of a sweet flavouring, usually fruit but can also include things like chocolate, banana, lemon, lime as well as different types of meats. For fish lovers, check out ‘Stargazy Pie’, although you might never look at pie the same way again!

Cobbler

Cobbler on the other hand is somewhat similar in style to a crisp but with a batter or biscuit crust which is dropped in lumps onto the filling with spaces left between each to allow the filling to show through – much like a cobbled street, hence the name. Cobbler can come in a variety of types with mixed berries and fruits being the most popular.

So which will you choose for your next dinner party? Make sure to have ice cream on hand to go with whichever you choose and serve them up slightly warm. Bon appetit!

A builder is nothing without his tools, and the same goes for cooking. To simply and efficiently prepare delicious, home-cooked meals, you need to invest in the rightcookware. By adequately equipping your kitchen properly, you’ll be able to whip up meal after meal with increasing ease. Here are seven items without which no budding chef should be.

Knives

This is one of the most crucial and frequently used items in the kitchen. A proper set of knives can achieve a wide range of cooking functions. By cutting your own produce and meats, you can save significant costs by avoiding the pricier, precut and prepared alternatives. It is critical to always use the appropriate knife for the job and ensure you keep them well sharpened. This will keep you safe fromknife related injuries.

Cutting Board

Cutting boards are used almost every time you cook, so it is imperative to find one you love and that you can clean easily. Most boards are made of plastic or wood. Wood intrinsically has an antiseptic element to it, which means it naturally fights microbes. However, plastic can take more punishment and cleaned in the dishwasher, which makes them more convenient. Ultimately, it comes down to your preference, but you’ll need a durable surface on which to cut your ingredients.

Cast Iron Skillet

This could be the heaviest pan in your kitchen, and for a good reason. These skillets will last you a lifetime. Cast iron is naturally nonstick and easy to clean once you learn the routine. They are also extremely versatile and can do everything from cooking vegetables or eggs to creating the sear on theperfect steak. They are definitely worth the workout you’ll get by handling these substantial skillets.

Can Opener

This one may seem trivial, but can you imagine trying to open a can without a can opener like in olden times? Whether you select a handheld or electric, being able to open cans easily can invite a wide assortment of non-perishable foods to stock your pantry. Making a casserole? Throw in some canned corn. Burritos tonight? Prise open a can of black beans and save you the trouble of the required overnight soak. You definitely want to have a can opener easily accessible in your kitchen.

Colander

You may think that a colander’s sole purpose is for draining pasta, which it does very well, but this bowl with holes can also be used to rinse vegetables and rice or keep other food from racing down the sink. Ok, it may not be too exciting, but it definitely comes in handy for those pasta nights.

Spatula

Next on the list is an old SpongeBob favorite. This scraping tool is used to lift foods from the pot or pan without crumbling or destroying the item. Until you’ve perfected the art of pancake tossing in the air, a spatula is going to be your best friend for flipping and frying. If you have opted for cookware with nonstick Teflon, be sure to use plastic or silicone spatulas to avoid scratching your pans and reducing their lifespan.

Shears

Granted, knives can do the job of most kitchen cutlery, but the convenience of kitchen shears is just too good to leave off the list. You can cut everything from herbs topizza with these scissors, turning mundane chopping tasks into an arts and craft project.

With these essentials in your kitchen, you can take on a host of recipes that can feed even a large family. Whether you are a novice in an apron or an experienced chef, be sure to keep these items on hand for your next kitchen creation.

Calling All Moms!

Welcome to Serendipitymommy.com! The woman and parenting resource brought to you by a mom, for moms. I also write articles about travel, business, finance and many more subjects to take your super-momness to the next level!